A primary lists of skills and such taken from a variety of games from a few years ago. Ultimately, that a bigger list doesn't make a better one and I myself hate large skill and equipment lists, yet completeness is useful.

1) Near Genius2) Near Photographic memory3) I have been gaming since 19764) I own over 80% of the core rulebooks printed in the US and Canada since that time.5) I type 60 to 100 wpm6) My Google-Fu is very strong *bows*

Does this explain all so many things?

I need to review my collection, which is distributed in boxes in storage, to add and finish this off. But If I have missed something, please feel free to comment upon it.

I only did a quick comparison between lists, so there may be what are essentiallly the same skills but rephrased. The above addendum to the does include mystic skills, as spells are in essence skills in the MDFRPG system. I'm far too lazy to separate out "spells" from "non-spells," and anyways in Midian that line is sometimes fuzzy. I did not include the necromantic spells from Death: The Pale Horse, which would have nearly doubled the list, but did include the non-necromantic skills from that book.

You know what... I feel a potential for use in CaptainPenguins academy!

What if Manfred made a generator of all these skills, and a generator of all the flaws that could be thought of, and then to make a character, the trainee must roll a random 10 skills and 5 flaws, and create a character around it.

It could be quite useful in pulling people away from powergaming and munchkinism.

Har har har! What a perfect character! Now i'll just roll for a measly flaw...:Crippled legs

Aw $%#^! "

Wow, I can even see a backstory forming with those very skills: used to be famous circus performer, broke legs in the 'elephant' incident. Now sits in a wheelchair, reliving better days. But has once again found inspiration! He now teaches others what he used to know! The students are sceptical, to say the least, when they first see the cripple sitting there, but once he teaches, there is little doubt.

He could be greatly used as both a detriment AND a bonus to a group: the group may have to push him around some rough parts, or even lift him, but he can still climb like nobody else, using his arms to pull him around. He could get to places inaccessible to the others.

Wow - a huge list. After going through all that, I only have a few skills and spells to add from my system. Like Kinslayer, I only did a quick comparison between lists, so there may be what are essentiallly the same skills but rephrased.

I have added a few more. I actually pulled out some rulebooks (Gurps, Hero, Tri-tac, Harnmaster) and was checking those. I was just about to pull out Ars Magic and Bushido when I kind of shook my head. This master list can get kind of redundent (savoir-faire and high society for example). If I tack on some of the odd science fiction games or bizzare fantasy there would be some "fill in" mostly for things that were specific to that genre/ setting. Foreign culture games like any Nipponese games would have many of the same skills with cool new names, and some other skills that odly group things together. And don't get me started on the gifts and flaws... those we could go on and on and on about.

While I will be tacking more things on... and compiling a list of general gifts and flaws (okay I am a maniac when it comes to completeness)... I realized the same thing I realized when I designed my game a little while back: skill gradence is important but details can slow down play. Gurps has always been the hobgoblin of this for me (though fourth edition has edited away much of this). Yet the same thing can be found in more detailed Call of Cthulu games (BRB). Hero system has a fairly complete skill list, basing its pricing upon usefulness in combat/ game play vs the complexity of the skill (which has been mucked up in 5th edition). And foreign genre games (Nippon and Tekumel for examples) get stranger because they have to capture the "alien" setting and the way that culture "groups things" . Nope. This little project has changed my mind a little and reminded me that I made some good choices a while back.

Instead of shooting people in CS (and being shot even more often), I have spent some of my free time on this. Consider it an alpha for the generator to come, it contains only a few samples, and repeats itself too obviously. I am afraid the actual 'filling' has to be done by someone else - any volunteers? My time and sanity are too sparse nowadays. It could make a fine Quest.

The Skills are divided into these categories: - All - for basically any setting, from accounting to acrobatics to all the others - Fantasy - fantasy genres, mostly magical stuff - Modern - for the present-day and similar settings - Sci-Fi - science fiction, obviously

The 'All' group is added to all categories, and 'Modern' also to 'Sci-fi', but there is also an 'Any' choice.

For now I have skipped Spells, since some of them are not so easy to grasp... what's that Channel Matrix good for again? I can surely add them, if there is a need, or create another generator.

Your NPC skill generator should generate clusters of skills, you can have one to four clusters, and pick one that is dominant.

That way you get appropriate skills for kinds of people.

So if you pick the combative cluster as dominant, you get a good set of warrior skills. Then the list should pick one to three more clusters, which could be combative, or stealthy, or merchantile, or magical, or what ever. Check out the list for NPC categories to generate a number of clusters applicable.

A super warrior will have three cluster in combative, while a well rounded merc will have the combative, athletic, merchantile, and traveller.

Then we can tag on traits based upon the primary cluster (keeping people who have the combative cluster from getting pacifist or some such).

Ok, my brian literally just locked. I came out of my daze with drool on my lip... in part due to part of my lip and chin still have no feeling from my wisdom teeth removal.

Ok, I am one for wanting as complete a list as possible, but holy cripes Batman. I had planned on putting as close to 200 skills in my system but came short by about 40. I see now where I can get the filler.

The bizzarly random is good for inspiration in many ways, not necessarily for characters.

The clusters of skills complicate things a bit, but give me some time, and they shall be there. So what shall they be, and how many should be available to a character? I see combative, stealthy, athletic, merchantile, travellers, magical (?); can think of social and a few more. Will 4 or 5 be enough?

Sure random characters can be fun, but they are only a silly admusment if they are not useful. So lets make some useful characters.

As mentioned before... The NPC categories are:--Agricultural: This is a character who concentrates upon growing food and organic resources. The primary argicultural is the farmer, but it includes ranchers, field hands, moisture farmers, and harvesters. This is not a very heroic orrientation, but some times your NPC is a farmer.

--Artistic/Performance: These is a character who concentrates on the creative area of living, both performance arts, writing, and producing artistic things. These are groups of dancers, musicians, writers, bards, actors, and sculpters. It also includes collectors, critics, and patrons of the arts.

--Combative: This is a character who concentrates upon warfare and personal combat. Soldiers, Mercenaries, Sargents, Tacticians, Generals, Military supply/ logistics, and so on.

--Criminal/Espionage: This is a character who focuses upon stealth, infiltration, and/ or the taking of goods and information. This is for criminals, spys, assassins, and those who combat them, detectives, intelligence officers, and police.

--Knowledge/Lore: This is a character who focuses upon wisdom and learning. They are a curious and investigative type. They gather knowledge for themselves and sometimes teach others.

--Mercantile: This is a character who focuses upon trade, commerace, business of all types, and money. Salesmen, merchants, traders, brokers, and investors are of a mercantile focus.

--Mystical: This is a character who focuses upon thaumaturgy (magics of all types), powers of the mind, and the cosmic forces of the universe, including deities. Many of a mystical orrientation are also known for theurgical knowledge - wisdom and understanding of the universe.

--Natural: This is a character who focuses upon the skills useful for life in the wilds. This includes, and is not limited to, ability to move through the environment, ability to find food, ability to find water, ability to find shelter, and an understanding of flora and fauna.

--Political: This is a character who focuses upon political power, the process of government, and the leading of people. Suitable for politicians, ambassadors, courtiers, councilors, first speakers, leaders, kings, princes, dukes, and others who control the course of cities, states, and nations.

--Religious: This is a character who focuses upon the theurgical, knowledge and wisdom of the universe and deities. Most of the religious orrientation work with their community, doing the divine will. This is suitable for Shamans, WitchDoctors, Priests, Monks, and Clerics of all persusasions. Many of a religious orrientation are also known for thaumaturgical knowledge and power (wonder working, magic, miracles).

--Technical: This is a character who lives for the functional, mechanical, and technical. They are craftsmen, the makers of things, stone smiths, hackers, radio operators, warp engineers, trapsmen, motorheads, and others who live for machines and technology.

--Travelers: This is a character who lives for travelling by some means. Sailors, Pilots, Navigators, Sumarriners, Dragon Riders, Pony Express Riders, Drivers, and Charioteers, are all examples of Travelers.

To this we would add:--Athletic: This is a character who excells at physical actions. It would include running, jumping, tumbling, climbing, and the ilk.

--Perceptive: This is a character who excells at being aware of the world around them.

--Deductive: This is a character who excells at being able to connect to the dots of the events and their responses.

Okay: Here is how the simulator might work.

Each character would receive 1-4 clusters of skills, each cluster related to a focus above. Think of a cluster as a package of related skills... skills that someone with this focus might take. Each emphasis will have 1-4 clusters.

So while Agriculture will have one cluster (Farmcraft, Animal craft, Teamster (ability to run a set of horses of oxen and a cart or plow) and woodcraft, Combative might have several (sword, shield, riding, lance OR Bow, Sword, Spear or Unarmed Combat I, Unarmed Combat II, Jumping, etc)

So when you roll a random character, you might choose a focus and a level of experience (1-4) .

The character would then get one cluster in the first focus.

The character would have an increased chance of receiving a cluster from that focus, but would recieve 0-3 additional clusters. Sometimes the character will have increased rating in a skill because it will be duplicated several times.

Throw on some random skills in addition, and you add ONE attribute aspect they are pronounced in (The character is notably strong, smart, quick, wise, of great constitution... see attribute listing). You might add a personality trait (and maybe have it based upon the primary focus?)

The Generator is fine, I think the functionality will stay as it is right now, the design may change still. Other than that, there is yet some explanation on its working needed. Will be added.

I have added all Skills starting on the letter A, and was dead tired after the process.

Even with the few Skills, there come a lot of unclear things to mind: - What is Ankle Lock anyway? - Is autopsy a Knowledge/Lore Skill, or some other? - Speaking of Knowledge/Lore, many of those Skills sound more like Craft skills to me... may need another cluster. - Is there any difference between awareness and alertness? - Is "art,critic" an Artistic Skill, or Knowledge/Lore, or even Perception or what? - Why is Spatial Awareness listed as a disadvantage?

An important question is, do we want one Skill in several clusters - animal lore in Knowledge and Natural, for instance?

Even with the few Skills, there come a lot of unclear things to mind: - What is Ankle Lock anyway? - Is there any difference between awareness and alertness?

An ankle lock is a type of wrestling move where you grab & hold your oponent's foot under pressure. Done properly, it is incredibly painful, and it is easy for the grappler to cause additional pain, or to even break the ankle. Kurt Angle WWE star and Olympic gold medallist, stated that, "My ankle lock is undoubtedly the most feared move in wrestling."

In Midian, Awareness is an attribute (like strength or intelligence), covering all general-purpose sensing ability. Alertness is a proficiency used to awaken quickly, or to avoid surprise or an ambush. However, with other game systems, your milage may vary.